UK government confirms 2030 as the year that engines will be put to an end
Car manufacturers are in a race to electrification as the UK government confirms the deadline for non-electric cars to be sold on Great British soil.
The year of 2030 will see no new petrol or diesel cars roll off the production line, in the country’s efforts to meet the looming climate-friendly demands of today.
The decision that was confirmed last week by the British government, has been labelled by MPs as a “huge challenge” for the country – stating that the responsible departments for the transition have “lacked a clear, published plan” for a timeline on the change.
Coventry University centre of automotive engineering
It is a “step in the right direction”, Automotive Engineer James Miall says – but has the decision to go all-electric been made at the right time?
There are already concerns that there is not enough electricity available to facilitate the demand with the current size of the UK’s charging network, so there is no doubt that motorists are being left confused by the decision.
Having said this, a National Audit Office report suggests that charging at home can cost up to 78% less than relying on the public charging network – so if the charging network can support the demand, there is potential for substantial savings.
The main compartments of a electric vehicle
Credit - EDF Energy
Despite this, James suggests that before transitioning to an all-electric country of cars, we should look into “pedestrianisation of cities” to avoid some of the common problems that all types of cars are responsible for today.
So far this year, electric car sales in the UK have accounted for 7.2% of car sales overall – up from 4% across the same period in 2020. If manufacturers want any chance of increasing their electric car sales, lowering the price of their cars will certainly attract new buyers to switch to electric power.
However, the government has been offering a £2500 grant as a thank you for purchasing a new electric car – and over £1 billion has been sacrificed for this cause up until now.
But it’s not a purely negative prospect – electric cars offer some of the best value for money across the automotive market, often boasting a long-range battery life and some of the most up-to-date technology that engineering and computing have to offer.
In addition, a recent What Car? survey of more than 10,000 in-market buyers revealed that one-in-five respondents were considering an electric car as their next purchase.
In light of this, several manufacturers are already rapidly expanding their fleets to include hybrid or electric models, which is a promising start in relation to the upcoming transition.
It may seem like a short amount of time to prepare before the changes come into effect, but there is a plentiful supply of electric cars to choose from, at fairly affordable prices. It just depends on whether or not you want to be an early adopter of this new phase in the automotive industry.
